Over the last two months, we have offered a Cumbrian hill farm to let as a complete unit on a ten year Farm Business Tenancy. This is an attractive family farm, and as we now go through the shortlist and interview process to finally find the successful tenant, it is interesting to reflect that in spite of the changes in support structures and gener...

Non-Executive Director at PFK Robert Craig, where he contributes towards the growth of the Rural Department of business has been appointed as the new Chair of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF). At the associations October Chairman's meeting on the 3rd October, Robert, the previous Vice Chair, started his three year tenure, taki...

At long last we find ourselves in a position whereby the long awaited 2023 SFI scheme has been opened for applications.  The scheme itself opened to applicants on 18th September but currently the only people who are permitted to apply are those who have been invited by the RPA. The RPA are currently working on a controlled roll out of the sche...

According to Forestry Commission figures, 46% of English woodland is unmanaged or under managed. Woodland Management Plans (WMPs) are pivotal tools for sustainable woodland management. They provide clear guidelines for landowners and managers, ensuring a balanced approach to economic, ecological, and social aspects. In this article, we'll explore t...

 Over the past year at PFK Rural, we have experienced a notable increase in inquires from both existing and new Clients regarding utility companies' requests for access to landowners' property to perform various works. Simply put, it is critical for landowners to be well-informed about their rights when it comes to utility companies. Whether i...

PFK Rural's Director, Julie Liddle LLM, FRICS, FAAV, MCIArb, has been elected Junior Vice President of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) for 2023/2024 at their AGM in Oxford. Julie is a farmers daughter, raised in County Durham. Her key experience relates predominantly to Landlord and Tenant arrangements (rural and commercial) ...

If you need a second dwelling on your farm, do you know what is required? Being fully informed might make the difference between success and failure. Obtaining planning permission in rural or isolated locations can be interesting at best, but being poorly advised or not advised at all, is not the way to proceed. The National Planning Policy Framewo...

PFK are delighted to announce that Jo Edwards has been welcomed onto the board as a Director of PFK Rural Limited. Jo has been with PFK since 2005 and has been a very important and hardworking member of the team, we are extremely glad to be able to share her passion and expertise with the entirety of PFK. We hope that like us, you will join us in c...

On the afternoon of Thursday 27th July, PFK Rural Ltd offered for sale 214.95 acres of permanent pasture land in parish of Matterdale. Andrew Maughan from Penrith & District Farmers' Mart undertook the auction on behalf of PFK Rural and offered for sale five lots all of which were met with plenty of competitive bidding. First up was Lot 1 which...

Now the dust has settled from the 15th May BPS deadline, here at PFK our attentions are turning to Countryside Stewardship mid tier applications. With the recent announcement of further increases in payment rates for various options for upland farms including making the payment for Low input grassland in the SDA areas the same as that for lowland g...

 Our annual Grass Let Auction will take place on Tuesday 28th March 2023 at 1pm in The Hired Lad, Penrith Auction Mart.For the full brochure, click below or contact James Morgan on 01768 866611 Download PDF File Here

As new opportunities become available to farmers and land owners, John Robson gives his view on whether you should side with the wizards or the prophets. Whilst travelling to a farm appointment recently, I was intrigued by a radio interview given by Henry Dimbleby who recently left his post as an advisor to DEFRA in order to take a more robust stan...

In these times of ever increasing prices, the last thing you want to do is spend money unnecessarily, but where on the ladder of 'unnecessary expenditure' do you put tenancy advice? If, for a moment, we take a hypothetical landlord and tenant relationship, and at the commencement of the tenancy they have both agreed what is to be let under a Farm B...

Stoneywath Farm, Kirkland, Frizington - £1,150,000 PFK Rural are delighted to present an opportunity to purchase a ring-fenced upland farm including a four bedroom Grade II listed Farmhouse with a limited range of buildings together with 123.45 acres (49.96 ha) or thereabouts of mowing and grazing land. This property is offered for sale as a Whole ...

The Landscape Recovery scheme, part of the English Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), is a ground-breaking initiative that aims to achieve large-scale ecological restoration and long-term environmental benefits. It focuses on four key features: large-scale projects, long-term public funding, bespoke agreements, and blended funding. By ta...

Upland farmers play a crucial role in sustaining our farm businesses, food production, and improving the environment. The UK government has introduced several initiatives to support upland farmers and provide them with opportunities to enhance their operations while contributing to environmental conservation. In this blog post, we will explore the ...

In our industry we provide professional advice covering a range of subjects, the last few years has seen much change in policy, an obvious consequence of Brexit. New legislation cannot be created overnight, and it is not since before the McSharry reforms in 1973 that we have had to think about standing on our own two feet. With this in mind, I touc...

FOR SALE BY PUBLIC AUCTION - 27TH JULY 2023 AT 2PM The sale of land at Matterdale offers a rare opportunity to purchase up to five blocks of land within the parish, all of which benefit from roadside access. The land will be of benefit and interest to farmers looking to expand their existing land holdings or anyone with amenity, environmental or sm...

Our Head of Land Agency, David Stout, has recently written a piece for the Farmers Guardian on whether compulsory purchases by telecom and utility companies are threats or opportunities.The piece featured in the July 12th edition and can be read below:With the pressure and demand for quicker journeys, better communication and services evergrowing, ...

PFK have had a busy few months listing lots of new and exciting properties, some of which can be seen below; The Luham, Edenhall - POA• Grade II Listed farmhouse • Traditional and modern farm buildings • 304.39 acres (123.18 ha) of highly productive arable land and grassland, together with some amenity woodland • The majority of the land benefits f...